Western cosmetics companies are using China’s ecommerce platforms to bypass Beijing’s requirement that their products be tested on animals, with pop star Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty the latest to take advantage of an easing of restrictions.
Make-up must be tested on animals in government laboratories to be approved for sale in China. While big foreign brands such as L’Oréal, Estee Lauder, and Procter & Gamble have complied with the rules, other companies have chosen to avoid the Chinese market.
But since 2016 Beijing has permitted platforms run by ecommerce companies such as Alibaba and JD.com to allow consumers buy cosmetics direct from overseas, avoiding some inspection requirements including the animal testing regulations.